Beulah “Bee” Howard Matney passed from our world into Glory Land on Monday July 18, 2022, while residing at Heritage House Senior Care Facility, Connersville, Indiana. Bee was one of four children, a twin sister and two brothers, born to Almer and Ada Mae Robey on February 22, 1922, at a farm outside of Stamping Ground, Kentucky. The twins were placed in shoeboxes and set on the open door of the wood cook stove as an incubator.
Bee faced and conquered unknown challenges in her life: Crippled but surviving the Polio Epidemic at age 3 and total deafness at age 8. She developed a strong constitution. Her last desire was to live to be 100, which she accomplished February 22, 2022. She lived thru many historical events in the 20th and 21st centuries including the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, 9/11, and the Covid Pandemic. She also had a wonderful sense of humor (this description was taken from a Facebook article by Andrea Raham, great granddaughter).
Bee married James Robert Howard on August 5, 1939, in Georgetown, Kentucky. He died June 10, 1994. After the passing of her husband, she married John Matney in Orange, Indiana. He died on January 7, 2011.
Bee was quite active through the years, raising four children, being a farmer’s wife, home economics, an avid quilter, working at Philco Ford and volunteering for the American Red Cross. Bee loved playing card games, working on jigsaw puzzles, camping and animals of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
She is survived by three children: Maxine (David) Raham, Gary Doug (Heather) Howard, and Steven (Dee) Howard; grandchildren, Kymberly Raham of Litchfield, AZ, Dr. Vance (Regina) Raham of Statesboro, GA, Vincent Raham of Peoria, AZ, Michelle (Chris) Woods of Cascade, MT, Angie (Jr) Caudill of Connersville, IN, Sarah (Brandon) Pennington of Cambridge City, IN, Stephanie (Ray) Scanlon of Cambridge City, IN, James Steele (Genevieve) Howard of New Orleans, LA, Devon Jordan, Samantha Scholl, Amanda Hurst, Breanna Moore all of Connersville. She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Crystal Pugh, Kristina Raham, Rachel Sterhle, Jessica Hentz, Andrea Raham, Tayler and Bryce Pennington, Brayden and Kinley Scanlon, Jennifer, Angie, Chrissey, Brittny, Jay, and Ty McMullen and Megan, Nicole, Kelsey, and Haley Fischer; as well as 10 great great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents and husbands, she is preceded in death by her twin sister, Eula Mahan; son Randy Howard, and brothers, Franklin and Kenneth Robey.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like memorial contributions made to Higher Praise Worship Center.
Graveside rites will be conducted at Dale Cemetery, Connersville, IN, by Reverend Richard Ware of Higher Praise Worship Center on Saturday July 23, 2022, at 1:00 pm.
Urban Winkler Funeral Home is honored to assist Bee’s family with the arrangements.